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Troy Fire Department’s ‘baby box’ being investigated following citizen complaint

TROY — The City of Troy’s new Safe Haven Baby Box is being investigated after a citizen complaint.

The baby box was unveiled at the end of July at Troy’s new fire station, but now is under investigation by the Ohio Department of Health.

>> Previous Coverage: Troy fire station to install safe haven ‘baby box’ that allows people to safely surrender babies

This is the only baby box in the Miami Valley, and it gives women the option to safely surrender their baby within the first 30 days anonymously.

A person complained to the ODH claiming the baby box violates state revised code.

“We actually had this building designed with the mindset of a baby box,” said Chief Matthew Simmons with the Troy Fire Department.

The Troy Fire Department’s Safe Haven Baby Box launched on August 12th. On September 2nd, The Ohio Department of Health launched an investigation into it.

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Through a public records request, News Center 7 obtained a copy of a letter sent by ODH to Troy Fire Chief Matthew Simmons that said “[Ohio Revised Code] states the access portal door shall be installed on an exterior wall that ensures anonymity of the surrendering parents.”

“And so with that in mind, we created a vestibule to have a nice space to be able to have a parent render that child,” Chief Simmons said.

Chief Simmons said someone complained to the ODH claiming a vestibule is not an exterior wall and violates Ohio Revised Code.

In late June, Chief Simmons registered the baby box with the ODH and got a letter from the ODH telling him the baby box was registered and met Ohio Revised Code.

“So, we thought we were doing everything compliant to the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code,” Chief Simmons said.

But now, state officials are saying that may not be true.

The Troy Fire Department partnered with the Safe Haven Baby Box out of Indiana.

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The founder and CEO, Monica Kelsey, started this mission five years ago in Ohio because she says her mom abandoned her two hours after she was born.

She wanted to dedicate her life to ensuring other women in Indiana and Ohio have a safe and alternative option to abandonment that her birth-mom did not have.

“I’m on the front lines of this fight. I’m fighting along every Ohio women that wants this resource and I’m not letting down,” Kelsey said.

She feels that the ODH has been against her mission from the beginning.

In light of the investigation, she has been calling the ODH every day and her calls have been not returned.

She says all she is asking for is “A face-to-face meeting with the fire chiefs that have these boxes, the Safe Haven Baby Boxes along with the Governor’s Office and the Ohio Department of Health, so we can work this out at a table together.”

That’s what Chief Simmons wants too, and he’s had trouble reaching someone at the ODH as well until News Center 7 reached out to them Thursday.

“Once they see how the boxes work...I think they’ll actually be very supportive of us,” Kelsey said.

“It’s frustrating for not just me, but for my firefighters because we are actually out there saving lives,” Chief Simmons said.

News Center 7 will continue updating this story as we learn more.

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